Sarochan

It's always interesting when people (presumably) make an account just to complain about something. Especially when they're making an account on the forum that they want to complain about. Yikes indeed! Perfect reaction image.

Wooooorking! Well, it's not too bad, as working means being on Orcas Island in WA, and it's kind of vacation-y just being there over the summer. I'll definitely try to make the most of it, because who knows if I'll ever have the chance to spend an entire summer there again? Other than that, reading articles, reading books, and moving somewhere.

I'd like to do something fancy, but I'll probably limit myself to a hoodie/shirt from the school, some new clothes, and a short trip to somewhere near my hometown.

Generally, you want a combination of both knowing you and status/authority. Professors, advisors, and the like are the usual candidates, because they have experience in the field, know you somewhat well, and also know about your academic performance. I would say TAs are not a great option for letters. You might try looking over this website for more details and ideas: http://gradschool.about.com/cs/askingforletters/a/recletter.htm

It's a good way to avoid paying the fee for sending them out afterwards! I think there's a limit on the number you can send, though; I believe it's six. (Could be mistaken, it's been several months since I took them.)

From the two places I've been accepted, one has been totally electronic (all funding and other information emailed as .PDF documents), and the other has been part email and part letter - and the letter said exactly the same thing as the email, haha. I haven't made a decision yet as to where I'll be going. I understand your worry, but if you've received information regarding funding, I think it's pretty concrete, whether it's electronic or otherwise. I could be wrong; maybe some more experienced people could weigh in?

Thank you very much, BerenErchamion!

I really loved Bellingham, although yeah, it's going to be quite a bit smaller than a place that can support 50,000 students. (WWU has about 15,000 students, I think, so that gives you some idea of the size difference.) The town is nice, and there's a variety of things to do (various bars/clubs, lots of outdoor activities in the area, places with small/independently-owned stores, mall + usual mall features).... Although some people I went to school with complained about the lack of a nightlife/activities. However, Bellingham is relatively close to some other, bigger cities (Seattle and Vancouver being the most notable), so there's the potential for a short(ish) travel to more exciting places. The public transit system is quite good, both for getting around the city and connecting to other counties, so you can get to Everett or Seattle or Anacortes or Oak Harbor by bus. The WWU campus is very long! At the south end, there's a couple of dorm areas (Buchanan Towers, Fairhaven); then the gym facility and some of the newer buildings, such as the Communications building; continuing north, there's kind of the "main drag", with a variety of science lecture halls (Arntzen Hall, Environmental Studies, the Biology and Chemistry buildings) on either side; finally you get to the campus center area, which has Old Main (lots of things like financial aid, student accounts, that sort of thing), the two libraries, Red Square, and a lot of other lecture halls (social studies, math, language, things like that), as well as most of the student residence areas. The campus has a variety of sculptures and art pieces, some of which you can use as seating. I really liked the campus, although some of the buildings were definitely dated. Lots of grassy areas, trees, flowerbeds, and of course the Sehome Hill Arboretum is right next to the campus, so there's a good amount of vegetation around. Unfortunately, I can't offer much help with the housing question; I only ever lived on campus before I moved to CNY. But! I know a lot of people did rent places (both apartments and houses) near the school, and there were usually signs up for people looking for roommates/housemates. Most of the people I knew living off campus were either near the south end (lots of apartment buildings down there). I don't know much about certain places to stay away from, either, but in terms of general safety Bellingham is a pretty good place. The weather will probably be quite different from Florida! I really like the Pacific Northwest climate, but it will be rainy in the fall. And winter. (Much less so in the warmer months, but yeah.) Generally the temperature doesn't go above 100, and the average high in the summer is 71 F. The winters are normally pretty mild; the average low is about 32 F, and there's not usually much snow. Raincoats and boots are recommended, especially if you'll be walking a lot. Parts of the campus are paved with brick, and there's a lot of ups and downs where puddles can form. I hope that this helps somewhat!

What are you interested in knowing? I attended WWU for a few years as an undergrad, and I might have some answers for you!

I won't be, as I visited UCR in late February. I guess that was when they had GGB prospectives come in. I hope you enjoy your visit and can get more information regarding housing! I really wish that I could remember where they said to find that page.

When I talked to various current grad students at UCR, they said that there is a website or page where people put up listings (looking for roommates/housemates). Unfortunately, I'm not sure exactly where the site is, but something like that could be useful, potentially.

I understand the cultural aspect of it, at least a bit (way more than I understand the appeal of being drunk); alcohol has a long and interesting history! Plus the process of making it can be fascinating too. But other than that, yeah, I agree.

First rejection certainly doesn't feel great, but I was kind of expecting it, so at least it wasn't a surprise. Still have at least two good offers, and I'm trying to take solace in that.

Started as an undecided/undeclared major in my first institution (thinking of majoring in creative writing), took a year off of school, transferred to a new college as a biochem major, then finally managed to get where I wanted to be: biology. Took me five years (well, four years and two quarters) to graduate, but oh well, what can you do. I have no idea what would have happened to me if I had actually gone through with the creative writing! It definitely would have changed a whole lot of things.

I hope it all works out, BiochemMom!

Definitely some excellent stuff here. More transparency would be such a boon, and seems like it would be beneficial to both the prospective students and the schools. I don't know if something like this would be feasible (or if it's even advom related), but a system like the undergraduate Common Application would be very nice for nonspecific applicant information (name, age, DOB, undergrad institutions, etc.)

That is helpful; thank you for sharing!

Dead zone

Oh man, I'm feeling that way too (although it's looking like it's going to be just two programs to choose between for me at this point). I have yet to visit the second, and am hoping that I either really love it or really hate it, just to make my decision easier. I'm already feeling guilty about picking just one, and I haven't even chosen yet!

Wisdom teeth. They were painful when they emerged, they're painful now, and it's going to be painful when they're removed in a couple weeks. Monetarily painful as well. Plus, it's only the first step in a long journey to dental happiness! Thanks, body, for making these extra teeth.

My mom usually gets curry pastes in a variety of colors from Uwajimaya's, a large Asian market chain with several stores on the west coast. They're usually pretty good, and can be very spicy, so maybe the internet would be your best bet if there isn't a specialty store in your area. Good luck with your quest for curry!

In regards to the gloominess, it is central New York, so the winters will be cold, snowy, and probably cloudy a lot of the time. (I've been a resident of CNY for five-ish years, so I am well-acquainted with the weather here.) However, spring, summer, and fall can be lovely! Summers can be quite warm, somewhat humid (but still nice), and last well into September. Falls are very nice, especially with the foliage changing color! My personal favorite is spring, because it's always so nice to see the leaves and flowers coming out and the temperature rising. I haven't lived in Buffalo myself, but my SO went to college there, and he says that the campus and school facilities are nice. There are some parts of the city that are probably less safe (just like many large cities). I don't think that that necessarily means that the school or its facilities are poor. I wish I could help with your other questions.... But if you have any questions about the environment/area, feel free to ask!

While I think it might be reasonable to ask that people decline acceptances to programs if they are very sure they do not want to attend them (due to bad fit, etc.), people definitely deserve the to have the time they need to make a decision. They should not feel pressured to hurry their (incredibly important) decision, as long as they are working within the appropriate timeframe. I do hope things go well for you, but this persistent negativity probably isn't helping you, and it certainly isn't contributing to this forum.

For the first, I was (sort of) playing Disgaea 4 while lying in bed, half asleep. I grabbed my tablet to look something up, saw an email notification, checked it, and promptly woke right up. For the second, I was on the phone with my POI at the school, finishing up an interview, and she told me that I could expect an official offer of acceptance sometime in the following week.